A Broken Promise
by Kaen
Summary: Kenshin struggles with the guilt of knowing that he's broken his most important promise, but will he ever find the strength to return to Kaoru and his friends? Chapter 1 is *finally* up! Please review?
1. Prologue: Reminiscence

A Broken Promise

Prologue: Reminiscence 

By Kaen

(Welcome to my very first fanfiction!)

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He sat motionlessly, his tired body soaking up the last of sun's rays as the slight breeze gently played with his auburn locks. It had been three weeks and two days since he had left the dojo. And left her. He closed his violet eyes as he wondered what she was doing now, and if she missed him as much as him her. He sighed heavily, the action relaxing and dismaying him at the same time. She was probably too busy to be worrying about him with all that she was depended upon to tend to. It was incredibly selfish for him to hope that she distresses herself over his absence and he mentally scolded himself. 

After a few more seconds, he opened his eyes and once again raised them to the darkening sky. He gasped, his eyes widening to take in a most eerie sight. Instead of the usually pale tones of pink, indigo and gold that were associated with sunset, the sky had turned the color of fresh blood, the sun a fiery orb amidst the crimson backdrop. He shuddered as he roughly rubbed his arms, futilely try to force a spark of warmth back into them. He was so cold all of a sudden… Not at all like he had been just minutes ago, while reflecting on Kaoru. 

This may have been due to the fact that he was no longing reflecting on Kaoru, but rather, the last time he had seen a blood red sunset… The _Bakumatsu_… At that time, careless slaughter seemed a so much a part of his life. He recalled the feeling of taking a life, how easily his sword had sliced namelessly through hundreds, if not thousands of men. And one woman…

"Tomoe…" he whispered, almost inaudible, but loud enough to leave a lingering presence in the air around him. He lowered his eyelids as he absently brought his right hand from his arm to trace the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. He smiled wistfully in the simple remembrance of his beloved Tomoe. He was eternally grateful to her. Not only for her unrelenting kindness, but for her love and how she showed him how to live a meaningful life. He had never forgiven himself for her accidental death and knew that he never would, but he had learned from his greatest mistake. He repented for it by swearing to never kill again.  

Unfortunately, he could not honor his own vow for very long. Times soon changed and he once again found himself on a desolate battlefield, shamefully ending lives as he had once done before his tragic love with Tomoe. As he stood along the carnage that he himself had created, he could feel the warmth of his own blood cascading down his scarred cheek and slowly dripping off his chin onto his otherwise unstained gi. Making no effort to wipe the blood away, he bowed low to his slain enemies. A gesture he previously would not have ever made, had it not been for Tomoe's compassionate teachings. 

After the battle was won, the Battousai had turned away and ruefully left the battleground. Hitokiri Battousai abandoned his title at the Bakumatsu and was now simply known as Kenshin, but even his name was still that of a soldier that he had been given to him by his sword master. Hiko had declared that "Shinta" was a child's name and was far too weak for a disciple of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. At the time, Kenshin didn't understand why his name had been altered, but he now appreciated the act of his master. His three "sisters" would not have approved of the bloody path that he had chosen to take anyway. 

When he was a child, he pretended that he could be someone else other than the helpless boy they died defending if he had a different name. He had hated his own weakness and demanded of himself that he grow stronger. Kenshin was now grateful his name was changed because of the shame his sisters would feel if they knew they had sacrificed themselves defending a future Hitokiri. They died shielding a boy named Shinta, they told him to live to choose his own life, and not let it be taken on that fateful night. He did what they entreated him to do and in that course of action had put himself through more misery and pain than he would have ever felt if he had been killed during the attack on the highway.

The sudden snapping of branches brought him out of his reminiscence. Kenshin realized that the sun had completely set and the only light was coming from the full moon that shone down on the Earth. Just like that night so many years ago… Silently he took in his surroundings as his gaze took in the forest floor below. When he caught sight of nothing he shook his head he reprimanded himself for jumping at sounds as natural in a forest as the forest itself. Either way it was time for him to be leaving for town. 

About two months ago the police chief had requested that Kenshin take yet another job to help maintain order. He was sent to Ono, a town near Kyoto, where particularly dangerous rebel factions were confirmed to be hiding. This group, seeming to be more intelligent than most, worked only at night where they congregated and planned extremist attacks on the government building and political leaders. So far, Kenshin had succeeded in catching about fifteen members of this group, perhaps around a third of the estimated size. Unfortunately, none of them had given up without a fight. Kenshin would comply with their will for a battle, but as with most battles it was short and extremely mismatched. He wished that they would just abandon their pointless revolution so he would be able to return to Tokyo, and to Kaoru.

Kenshin stole one last glance at the clear night sky and effortlessly jumped down from the high branch he had been sitting on to enjoy the sunset. He proceeded to make his way out of the lush forest and was soon on the highway that leads to Ono, but he walked at a leisurely pace. For the past week there had been no activity and he began to grow leery of his duty as a watchman. Maybe the group had dissolved itself after finally seeing its efforts a futile? He smiled wishfully at the possibility. 

Lost in his own thoughts, Kenshin barely noticed a group of men far off to the horizon. He probably wouldn't have noticed them, had it not been for all the ruckus that they were creating that could clearly be heard from over a thousand feet away. _Probably drunk_, Kenshin thought to himself dismayingly as he observed them from the far off road. Deciding that this group may need more monitoring than a phantom rebel group that hadn't shown itself for over a week Kenshin moved off the highway and into the tall grasses that grew against either side of the road. Silently he crept close enough to be able to supervise the men lest something get out of control, but distant enough to not to accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation. Kenshin sat on the soft ground using his sword to support him and once again lost himself in the past.

Three hours later the men had appeared to sober up, or were at least finally asleep. Kenshin was thankful that they had gained control over themselves again, but his relief was replaced by a bigger fear than he could not have even imagined just hours ago. As two or three men stood guard over what was apparently a makeshift camp, their conversations had abruptly halted at the distant sound of a wagon traveling along the highway. Kenshin had noticed their tenseness and silently questioned their intentions, but made no move to stop them. He strained his eyes as he slowly got to his feet, trying to see what type of wagon was approaching upon realizing that the men were probably highway bandits that moved from place to place seeking their stolen fortune. From so far away, the only thing he could tell was that there were many people accompanying the wagon and that some may be guards. 

To attack something with so many people around seemed foolish, but these men 

didn't appear to be the brightest of the bunch and the few that were already awake hastily awakened the others. And if Kenshin wasn't concerned before he became quite alert when all the men proceeded to pick up their katanas off the ground and place them in their sashes. Kenshin narrowed his eyes and impulsively placed his right hand over the handle of his sakabato.

Grimacing at their actions and the pain that those men would more than likely be in within just a few moments, Kenshin sprinted to the highway where the wagon group was traveling. Upon reaching the road, his running stopped abruptly as his breath caught in his throat. Wide-eyed, he watched as several children accompanied by ten or eleven adults walk in silence along a large wagon on the road leading past Ono to Kyoto. 

"Slave traders…" he said quietly to himself as his hand dropped from the handle of his sword. Almost instinctively, Kenshin's eyes began searching for his dear sisters, but he quickly realized his foolishness, for those women had died over twenty years ago. He sighed heavily and then began to run up to the head of the train, searching desperately for a leader who would give the command to seek refuge in town before it was too late. As he did, many small children pointed at him, or rather at his sword, while asking questions like children have a tendency to do. Kenshin's heart felt incredibly heavy as he glanced at the innocent faces of the children he passed.

_I need to help them or else they could all be… could be…_ Kenshin wouldn't allow his mind to finish such a horrific thought. He was there and he wouldn't allow something as awful as _that_ to ever repeat itself. He was strong now, like he always wanted to be. And maybe now, after so many years of frustration, he would be able to finally avenge his sisters' death in the form of saving the innocent lives of children.

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Well, that's it for chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm really not sure what to think about this fic because I had written this chapter a while ago. (This was the first fic for me ever!) Right now, the decision to continue this fic is up in the air, so I'm only going to be writing more if I get at least a few reviews in support of its continuation. I promise that the future chapters will be better if I do continue and as always, I'd love to hear suggestions for the fic and general advice for improving my writing style! Thank you for reading and please review!

-Kaen ^^


	2. Chapter 1: The Crimson Moon

A Broken Promise

Chapter 1: The Crimson Moon

By Kaen

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I can't believe how long it's been since I've written anything for this story! I'm so sorry! To be honest, I wasn't even planning on finishing it because I've just had such terrible writers block when it came to the topic of Rurouni Kenshin. I _think _I may finally have the rest of this story planned, so I'll try to be more frequent in my updates. Sorry for the wait, but I'd still _really_ appreciate it if you'd be kind enough to review. Thanks!

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The moon shone the color of freshly shed blood, bathing the dark earth in the eerie glow. And it was bright. Bright enough to almost reveal the scene unfolding below it. In fact, it was certainly bright enough to light the earth's cooled surface and was only dark in the areas that lay beneath the sprawling trees' branches. But there were also those whose hearts wished to remain in the merciful sanctuary of the dark, those who refused to acknowledge and to know. And as the crimson moon continued its attempt to light the darkness, it gave off the same pale light that was almost bright enough to light it. Almost. 

He couldn't understand why the children were staring at him. Their eyes were wide, glimmering with unshed tears. And they were trembling. Their entire small bodies were shaking. Were they cold? It was too warm for them to be cold. So why were they staring at him? Why were they trembling? 

The cry of a small girl shattered the silence as she fell to her knees in uncontrollable sobs. Her long hair was knotted, her dirty feet bare, and her ragged clothes were torn and stained. But her hair, knotted as it was, fell in front of her face, hiding it, as she lowered her head to the ground, still wailing. She hugged herself tightly; her arms crossed over her abdomen, as she futilely try to calm herself. The noise she was making was terrible, heart-wrenchingly horrible- but somehow, the other children didn't seem to notice their companion fall. Their wide eyes were too wide with question, their small bodies too stricken with shock, and their entire hearts too consumed by fear to notice. 

His breathing grew shallow, the pace quickening as his mouth went dry. Tearing his gaze from the other children, he focused again on the child trembling and bawling on the cold dusty ground. Taking pity on her, he knelt down next to her and placed a light hand on her heaving back. She jumped, letting out a shriek that was muffled by her small hands clamped over her mouth. Whimpering helplessly behind the hands, her eyes filled with fresh tears that began to overflow the second that Kenshin met her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, forcing a calm air about himself. She whimpered again, and he lost his last strand of patience. "_What's happened?!_" he demanded of her, taking hold of her thin shoulders and forcing her to meet his searching eyes. Perhaps the child was scared, but he was desperate.

"Please… don't…" she pleaded, lowering her eyes. She bit her lips to try to make the crying subside. Her frail legs gave out under her as her arms fell limply to her sides, but Kenshin's grip was so tight that she hardly moved.

"Don't _what?_" he screamed at her, shaking her quivering frame slightly. She flinched, but remained defiant in her silence. His eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic impatience. "Tell me!"

A scream swelled in her throat, but to suppress it, she bit her tongue hard; until she drew blood. The salty blood pooled inside her mouth, eventually rising high and becoming unbearable to the poor girl so she allowed it to trickle out the corner of her mouth. And yet, she astoundingly remained as silent as the night around her. Kenshin exhaled loudly, lowering his eyes while trying to calm his violent desperation. It was wrong to demand such a thing from a child, but she somehow knew what he didn't, or rather, what he had _denied_ himself of knowing… His eyes snapped suddenly into focus. 

He loosened his fierce grip on the girl's shoulders, allowing her to sink down to her knees where she was barely steadying herself with her shaky arms that were placed upon the dark ground. Kenshin knelt in front of her, tilting her chin up gently with his right hand. Reluctantly, her dazed eyes met his and she held the intense gave as if spellbound. To her, his eyes were those of a severe, yet somehow beautiful storm. Emotions flashed like lightning through the dark violet orbs and in them she saw confusion, agony, desperation, and fear…

"So pretty," she commented, still lost in the storm that was his very soul. And in the midst of this unlikely beauty, she couldn't help but add: "Very pretty, but so sad…"

Kenshin was taken off guard by the child's strange comment. He gasped softly, drawing back ever so slightly. It was then that something caught his eye, something reflecting the moon's beams. He looked at the girl more carefully, focusing his gaze on the splatters on her face, skin, and clothing. He leaned closed again, timidly brushing a thumb across her cheek once. The substance smeared as he moved his thumb across it, and it was sticky and warm. The smell was sickening, nearly overwhelming. He looked upon the other children, whom were still watching him warily. They, in unison, drew back as they became aware of his gaze falling on them. A thin layer of dust rose from the ground, lightly coating the shaking legs of the group. 

And he watched the dust rise; he watched how it clung to their sticky, bare legs, and he watched the dark raindrops fall to the dusty ground beneath their naked feet. Was it raining? He had never noticed its start. He began to stand as he lifted his eyes from the ground, his sight immediately landing on the enormous moon. It was still illuminating the earth with its pale, almost ethereal, rays and it was still red. So very red, scarlet, crimson, the color of-

"Blood…" Kenshin said distantly, his senses filling with the sickening scent of freshly spilled blood. Kenshin felt the world spin beneath him and he reached for anything that he might use to steady himself with. A familiar shape fit quickly and easily into his hand, his subconscious whispering to him what he never desired to know:

"_This is the weapon… your weapon… this katana that you killed_…"

"_NO!!_" he shrieked, clutching his reeling head. The katana that he had been using to steady himself with was knocked over by Kenshin's sporadic movement, and now lay on the ground pointing directly at the shattered remains of the sakaba. The hilt, which was still weakly attached to the few chipped inches of the blade stood adjacent to the ground, having been plunged into its rocky surface. And it resembled a grave; a grave where Kenshin's only hope of redemption lay with a shattered blade through its heart. There was absolutely no denying his guiltiness- the blood on the blade of the katana bore silent testimony of his sin. But why couldn't he remember any of it…? It was like a veil of denial blinded him.

But for the first time, Kenshin understood the childrens' trembling and the crimson rain that fell on the dusty land. They had been crying- they had all been crying- but he hadn't noticed their tears as they fell, mingling with the blood _he _had splashed on their faces and falling, creating small puddles that moistened the dusty, dry ground. Kenshin fell the warmth on his own face, his tears flowing uncontrollably, but no sound escaped his frozen body. He made no effort to wipe away his tears, nor the blood that was streaming from the scar that adorned his left cheek. It felt as though his body had been turned to lead and was too heavy to achieve any movement. He was frozen to the spot, while feeling the heaviness settle in his mind. It was turning it dark and in an instant, he felt as though he were detached from all reality. He was lost in the darkness of his mind and was scarcely aware of the plague spreading rapidly throughout his body. But right before his mind, soul, and body was completely overtaken by the dark, he heard a seemingly distant, whispered plea:

"_Please… don't kill me… Please, don't kill us, too…_"

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"AIEEEE!!!" was the sound of the scream that escaped the kitchen. Dark smoke billowed from within, venting through the cracks in the windows and door. Inside, the figure of a woman could barely be made out through the fog. She scrambled in search of something –anything- that could possibly put out that fiery inferno that had at one point been dinner. She reached for the pot full of hot water that she had been boiling the vegetables in and dumped it on the fire, also dumping the vegetables and burning her hands in the process. She shrieked again as she hopped, blowing on her hands. Finally succeeding in soothing them several minutes later, she surveyed the damage. The fish she had been cooking had caught fire and was now charred beyond recognition, and the pot full of water that she had used to douse the flames had contained the vegetables, not scattered here and there on the floor. Kaoru heaved a sigh. Dinner was ruined, again. 

The heavy smoke had made the kitchen literally a hazard zone to one's health, and this Kaoru acknowledged, lightly coughing, as she hastily slid open the kitchen door, slamming it against its frame. She wheezed against the doorframe, a couple seconds later pushing herself to move further away to more breathable air. Being content with the distance, she plopped down on the uplifted floor, her legs dangling off the side of the walkway. She leaned back against the wooden post behind her while breathing deeply, thankful for the fresh air. Looking up, she gasped as she noticed the gigantic red moon rising into the sky. The color frightened her, for it struck her to be the color of fresh blood. Anything that resembled blood to her was never a good omen, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry for Kenshin. He had been away too long, in her opinion at least. It actually hadn't been too terribly long, but when you had no one else to keep you company except a bratty kid and a lazy ex-gangster, she assumed that it was normal to pine after the only competent one. She shook her head slightly. It wasn't just his company that she missed. Besides his somewhat decent cooking, which indeed was much better than her own, Kenshin had been the one to capture her heart. She felt terrible because she never let him know, never even showed it, but every time she ever got close there always seemed to be some invisible force driving them apart. Every time it looked like life may finally be peaceful, Kenshin would always be called away before she ever got the chance to let him know how she felt. But regardless, that moon was still bloody red and Kenshin was away and Kaoru worried about him. She continued to watch the moon rise over the horizon as the sky above her continued to darken, her thoughts still concentrated around Kenshin. Finally, the last traces of daylight were gone and the chill of the night began to settle in. She rubbed her arms to try to warm them, but the bitter cold was carried by a strong wind that blew and mused her hair and clothes. Sighing, she finally stood up and leaned against the post and watched the peculiarly colored moon for a few seconds longer, Kaoru's eyes reflecting the love that she held in her soul. Of course, it would only make sense that she'd be able to show her freely while Kenshin couldn't be reached by them. She sighed desolately, being somewhat angry with herself and grateful to be outside to be able to vent her feelings privately, but the wind cut through her thin robes again and she shivered. Raising her right arm, she waved gently at the horizon that Kenshin resided somewhere over.

"Kenshin," she spoke softly. "Please come home soon. I'm waiting for you."

With this, she turned around, walked to the kitchen, lit the room's lantern, and prepared to clean up the mess that she had created while attempting top cook dinner. After all, normal life had to go on, even when Kenshin was away.

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Finally, the end of the second installation! I apologize again for how long this took to get this chapter out, and I sincerely hope that it was somewhat worth the wait. Anyways, I finally do have some free time to write so I may have the next chapter out a lot soon that even I suspected. I guess it all depends on where inspiration decides to hide itself. For this chapter, it was a game of pool, the "Love Hina" opening theme, and finally an absolutely random mp3 called "Nightwalker" I found while looking for Maaya Sakamoto stuff, so… ^^& I guess it's sometimes best not to ask… That's all I have to babble about now, so on the ending note, I'd really, _really_ appreciate it if you would review. It just helps the writing process go so much faster to know that I have support for my writing. Thanks!


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